Nail holding tool



y w. R. CLOER 2,349,339

NAIL HOLDING TOOL Filed Feb. 2, 1942 .Zags

J0 J1 J1 INVENTOR.

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ATI'D R N EYE Patented May 23, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a nail holding tool and has for an object to provide a tool of this character which will hold nails in almost inaccessible places while the nails are being driven.

A further object is to provide a tool of this character which may also be used as a hammer, and as a nail puller.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this character which will be formed of a few strong, simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a nail holding tool constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the nail holding tool shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the I line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, the tool is shown to com.- prise a handle l formed of a metal bar and provided with an extension ll of greater width than the handle to form the stationary jaw of the nail holder. The stationary jaw is provided with a fiat upper edge I2 having a pair of notches or grooves l3 and I4 therein to hold the shanks of nails of difierent sizes.

A lever I5 is pivoted adjacent its mid portion, as shown at It, to a pair of plates I! which are mounted on either side of the stationary jaw and are secured to the stationary jaw by a rivet l8, see Figure 3. A spacer I9 is disposed between the plates and is secured to the plates by a rivet 2!]. The lever is provided with a flat face 2| on the lower side of the free end forming a jaw which is adapted to normally extend in abutment with the fiat face l2 and coact with the fixed jaw to hold nails which are to be driven in almost inaccessible places. The end portion of the lever forward of the pivot 16 forms the movable jaw of the nail holder while the portion in rear of the pivot forms a handle 22.

The jaws of the nail holder are normally held closed by a helical spring 23 disposed in rear of the plates H. The ends of the helical spring are disposed in sockets 24 formed in the confronting sides of the handle l0 and handle 22.

The nail to be driven may be disposed with its shank in one of the openings l3 or M according to the size of the nail, after moving the handle 22 toward the handle II] to open the movable jaw 21'. The spring 23 expands when the handle 22 is released and closes the movable jaw to securely clamp the nail in the respective groove in the stationary jaw ll. While the handle I0 is then held in one hand the operator may use the other hand to manipulate a hammer for driving the nail while it is held clamped between the two jaws of the nail holder.

The jaw l I is provided with a hammer head 26. The hammer head is provided with a stud 21 which is secured in a suitable opening in the edge of the jaw ll opposite the grooves 13 and M.

A nail puller 28 is provided on the flat face of the jaw H. The nail puller 28 may be formed from a, flat sheet of metal having a portion upset to provide a V-shaped jaw 29 having a tapered opening 30 therein to receive the shank of the nail while the head of the nail is disposed on the inner side of the V-shaped jaw as is customary. The nail puller is fixed to the jaw I I by rivets 3| or other connectors.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

In a nail holding tool, a fiat elongated rectangular body having a longitudinal portionreduced transversely to form a flat, elongated and rectilinear handle, the inner longitudinal edge of the body being provided with a plurality of grooves of varying size extending transversely of the body adjacent its outer end, a pair of fiat elongated plates secured to and extending trans versely of the opposed side faces of the body and projecting beyond the inner longitudinal edge, a lever bent approximately at its mid-portion to form an obtuse angle between the bent ends thereof, a pivot supporting the mid-portion of the lever between the projecting end portions of the plates so that the lever is disposed to pivot with respect to the body, the said lever having an arm extending at an acute angle with the opposed end portion is in closed position, and a coil spring arranged inwardly and parallel with the plates having one end fitted in a socket opening inwardly from the inner edge of the body and the opposite end in a confronting socket in the parallel portion of the lever to resiliently hold the beveled face of the lever against the co-acting grooved edge portion of the body.

WILLIAM R. CLOER. 

